Chapter 2: You Never look back After a first Kill
This would be her first time seeing the King's face despite having been in his presence many times before.
It was against the customs for an Omega to look upon the eyes of any high ranking wolf not to talk of the King.
Verona was taken back to the past when she used to be at the bottom of the hierarchy table. Her rank was considered the lowest and often seen as a death sentence by all. Born into a poor family who used to serve a high warden Alpha way back in her village, her father worked as his gardener while her mother had served as cook.
She was their only child and had been told right from birth of her rank and how to conduct herself so as to not catch anybody's attention.
The girl was born beautiful but beauty was not considered a privilege as long as you were an Omega. So she'd had to resign to her fate and lay low until she'll be betrothed to any low warrior. Luck happened to smile upon her when she caught the eye of the noble Omar Grendel who swept her off her feet with the promise of love that never disappointed even until his last breath.
They were mated against the wishes of everyone including the King who he served.
Omar was the general warden of their village and oversaw the smooth running of all the packs that were disintegrated by the war. He was the connection between them and the throne and was good at it to the point he was adored by King Razhal.
If only she knew that his disapproval of her ran deeper than words, then maybe she would have opted to dissolve their marriage.
Because Omar ended up paying with his life for disobeying the tyrant king.
She had witnessed it, the crushing moment the razor sharp claws dug out his beating heart and when Omar breathed his last with his eyes never wavering from her direction.
She had been there, hiding away at his command.
Verona knew if he could talk he would have still found a way to apologize for his death. That was the kind of man he was to her.
The King's name had been mentioned by those Lycan killers. They said something about "making sure the message reached his highness" and there was no other person addressed as such besides the King.
Her trip down memory lane was cut short by the feeling of strange shocks that began to overwhelm her body. It had slowly built up from her legs and now made way into her stomach.
She forced herself to ignore the reaction and focused on the man several feet across from her. Whatever it was would have to go away by itself.
The King looked nothing like the rumors that trailed him. He was better than the tales, and the songs regaling his beauty failed to give a true illustration. Razhal was ethereal and even she could acknowledge that. There was an aura around him that commanded instant respect.
She could tell he was tall but when he untangled himself from the throne she conceded he was a giant.
"Do not fear him" her companion's words drifted through her mind and she tightened her chin.He did not come close to her, choosing to let a few stairs keep them apart. King Razhal was neither smiling not bearing anger.
The man on the long robe rushed down and began to address the crowd. He had barely begun when the King shushed him with a casual raise of his hand.
"Let's get this over with immediately" he had stated in a voice that left no room for further consideration.
"But your highness---" the man on a robe who should be a priest began to say when the King raised his palm to his mouth and tore out a part of his flesh.
Blood gushed out and the strong smell of metal filled up the room.
"Come forward" his command struck her with force and she found herself refusing it at first before taking slow steps towards him.He stood looking at her and she got taken with confusion.
What does he want?
The old strange woman briskly walked to her and without speaking a word jabbed a foot behind her leg and Verona landed on her knees.
"Kneel and receive his blood"
Upon the hearing of those words she recoiled away. Having his blood anywhere near her body sounded like a taboo she would never indulge.
People began to murmur when she wouldn't readily open her mouth. The growls and menacing snarls became threatening and she knew it may not end well on her side. There were many Lycans and high ranking wolves in this hall who wouldn't hesitate to pounce on her and the girls.
Verona did as she was told and the bleeding hand was placed over her mouth letting the blood trickle in. She knew what this ritual symbolizes and why he chose to do this.
He was bonding her into the realm of Castle rock as a form of pack member initiation. It was a tradition maintained by all Alphas and Leaders in charge of any given pack, village or region; stemming from the days of old.
She waited to feel anything but nothing happened and she knew why. Only a shifter wolf would feel the effect of such initiation, of which she had long cut off her wolf side.
So Verona pretended.
The girl held her head and made painful sounds that seemed like what a person under such situation would do. Thankfully her act was convincing enough and no one noticed.
She took the time kneeling down to look at everyone within close proximity but none resembled those murderers, not even a similarity.
"We are done here right?" King Razhal snarled at the priest and the shaken man nodded.
The Lycan King walked out of the room as people bowed in respect. He was followed by a troop of scary looking wolves and didn't spare no one another glance, not even to his new bride.
The moment he was completely out of the room, the crowd resumed the celebration forgetting about the Queen.
She remained in that position for a while until Sophiet and Farah helped her to her feet and the four of them got lost in the crowd of guests.
"I do not see any such man or woman in the room""Yes, me too. Maybe they are a part of some secret cult set up for such ominous tasks?"
"You mean like assassins!" a shrill voice that very well belonged to Sophiet whisper yelled.
"Yes. I do not put it past a man like him. That would be nothing compared to the many evil he has already done." The surly woman named Gal responded in such acidic tone.
Verona paid them no mind, choosing to move through the crowd as she received congratulatory messages from fake smiling stuck up wolves.
Her eyes moved sharper than that of an eagle as she scanned people's faces hoping to find what she was looking for but instead came upon ridiculing gossips.
The group of she-wolves pretended to be friendly when she got closer to them but Verona wasn't one to reward insult with a smile. She walked past without returning their pleasantries.
She was almost at the center of the room when a familiar voice called her name.
"Verona…?"
The bride froze at the spot and hesitated to turn around. The voice was like a plunge back into the past and it belonged to someone who should never had recognized her, especially not here in the palace.
"Let me handle it" Gal whispered in her ears and made to step towards the young woman but Verona stopped her.
Instead, the fiery red head turned around with a calm smile as she regarded her old friend. Its been so long she last saw Dakota, a childhood friend who had found her mate and left the village.
Who would have thought she would be here in Castle Rock?
At first she pretended to not recognize her, hoping the woman would leave her alone, but Dakota was still as nosy and persistent as ever.
"Don't you remember me? Its Dakota…" the woman forgo all her warning signals and came close to her.
"Oh sorry, uhm Hi. It's been what…a few years now. How have life been treating you?" she let go of the façade because it was clear the death rattle had been declared on the poor woman.
"Well not any better than how it's treated you" she made a gesture around the palace and laughed heartily overwhelming Verona with the feeling of guilt.
"You know…I heard of Omar's demise and it totally shattered my heart. I never could have imagined he would have to die like that, mauled to death by some crazy rogues"
Verona's hearing thinned and the people in the room disappeared leaving just her and the loose mouthed woman who kept on rambling.Having to hear her mention Omar's name in such languid tone immediately set her heart racing with anger.
"hey you know what…it's been so long since we last saw each other. Why don't we meet up another time and properly reunite?" She suggested.
"Of course yes, today is your wedding after all. Even I would also begin to head home now to not get caught up in the curfew. You see I didn't come with my husband. He's back home attending to official matters, you know how men get…"
she smiled broadly and the sly bride mirrored her expression."Well then we'll see later yes?"
"Okay. But when we meet do not hold back any stories. I would like to hear it all" Dakota was already heading out with her two Omega servants while waving back at her former friend.
Once she was out the exit, the new Luna signaled to Gal who immediately went after the chatty woman.It was better she took care of her before she comes to some realizations and begins to run her mouth.
As they say, once you make your first kill you never look back again.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone